A Woman of Will

                             Learning to Let Go One Step at a Time

Today I wanted to talk about a subject that affects women around the world. The subject is attachment. Attachment is an emotional bond to a thing, place or person. I've personally experienced all kinds of attachments. I remember being attached to my little doll when I was four. I remember being in love with a cartoon character only to find out he wasn’t real. How disappointing! Yet as a grown woman today I realize I'm still so prone to getting attached to things (sometimes almost everything specially at the mall) and people. Yet in all seriousness I believe sometimes in life we can get caught up in toxic and sinful attachments. The attachment to a habit that we just can’t break, maybe the attachment to clothes we don't wear or habits we can't break.

We can all identify with one. Some women love food so much they cannot control what and how much they eat, others love their phone more than they love their families (or so it may seem). My challenge for you today is to learn the steps you need to let go and break the chains of toxic bonding, no matter its nature. 

First of all , realize that you have the gift of will.

Sometimes we can be fooled by Satan into thinking that we have no say in our emotions, no say in our weaknesses and no say in our destiny. That is such a big fat lie! God gave us an amazing gift called will.

You can use your will for simple tasks and begin to train your body to deny itself. Start with baby steps. For example instead of focusing on how much soda you shouln't drink. Decide to carry a bottle of water with you all the time, you chose a healthy habit, now stick with it. This doesn’t mean you won’t drink soda anymore, it only means you’ll crave it less because you’re keeping yourself hydrated.

The same rule can be applied to our spiritual life. Often we hold on to the wrongs things and can’t seem to move on simply because we have nothing else without them. We are running on empty and are not spiritually hydrated. So take a baby step, don’t focus so much on how far you can stay away from sin, rather focus on taking steps closer to God. You can start by reading one bible verse as soon as you wake up. Maybe right before you go to bed. It can even be a prayer while you drive to work. The more hydrated you are the less you will thirst for those toxic habits in your life. It won’t be an overnight thing, but it will bring a new perspective to life on a daily basis.

Use the power of will for your benefit. Learn to say yes to healthy friendships. If you’re trying to get out of a toxic relationship, surround yourself with healthy friends that will support you through the transition. You can’t have a strong will until you use it and exercise it and build endurance. Work out your will, not focusing so much on the big No's but rather focusing on the Yes. Say yes to godly friendships, say yes to prayer, say yes to church and yes to humility. Learn to care for others and take those baby steps to train your will to do the right things. Soon you will be surprised to see how much victories you’ve had, how many chains you’ve broken and how many habits and toxic relationships you’ve ended, simply by spending more time being who you where intended to be, a woman with a will. 

Daily Bread | The Light

22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Matthew Chapter 5:22-24

Although this passage is rather familiar to most of us, often we have overlooked some details about what Christ was really saying.

We know we are called to be the light of the world. Yet this passage goes a bit deeper in explaining just how to go about being a light to begin with. You see you can't light a room if you're not some sort of light source. This passage tells us that we must first be sure that the light within us is bright and shining before we can fulfill the calling.

We see in verse 22 that the light of the body is the eye. If our eye is good our light will shine. If our eye is evil our light will be dimmed and darkness will rule.
What exactly are we saying here?
Very simple. The light of the body is our eyes. Yet if we allow evil to enter through our eyes and into the body it will have a negative effect in our life and the light will no longer be light but darkness.

When we allow evil things to be set before our eyes, we are contaminating our whole body and our entire life is affected by that.
If we expose our eyes to immoral images on media, magazines or television, we are letting evil enter our lives. We live in a day in age where everything is permissible. You can read your bible and then open some fashion magazine filled with half naked women and immoral topics that have nothing to do with Christ. You see it is through those very practices that we are allowing the darkness of the world inside our heart and it is eating at the light of Christ within us.

Think about it, how often do we allow darkness to influence what we watch, what we read and who we follow on social media? It's sad to see Christian women following worldly celebrities and trying to dress like them, do their makeup and hair like them and forsaking godliness. If we confess Christ we must live as he lived and not as the world lives so we may shine the light of Christ in us.

In verse 24 the word tells us we cannot serve God and mammon. We can't read the Bible and then read romance novels with illicit and immoral references. Chick-flicks and beauty blogs have taken over the modern Christian woman and have now darkened the light of Christ in us.

Yet as women we can be stronger than that. We can claim back the light in ourselves and we can be a light to this world. We can cast out any darkness ruling over us. We can throw away those books, the magazines and anything else that has contaminated our life. We can cleanse our eyes with the water of life which is the word of God. We can fight the battle on our knees. We can say no, we can have victory, we can because God is with us!

So ladies let's declare war on the world and begin restoring the light within us. Let's set our eyes on Jesus and his righteousness. Let's fill our eyes with his goodness and mercy. Let's shine our light!

5 Signs He really likes you

As women many times we find ourselves attracted to a guy and wonder if he feels the same about us. Today we will look at 5 signs he really likes you and the reasons why you might not like him after all .

1. He loves to flirt.                                        
 Although when a guy likes you he will turn a little flirty, some men just flirt with any attractive woman they meet or any woman for that matter. The truth is men generally enjoy flirtatious conversations and will usually engage in one as long as the woman goes along with it. I say most men but there is some exceptions. While most men will flirt given the chance there is those few who have set boundaries and are not willing to compromise. This is something to keep in mind. Take a look and keep your eyes open, is he usually funny and flirty with other women? Is that something you want in a man? Does he seem the kind of guy that could set boundaries for himself and be loyal to just one woman? Who knows you might just be one more in the list and it could be that what you are perceiving as possible attraction could just be him playing his cards.


2. Small talk.                                                  
Does he often ignore what you say and turn the conversation to something of his liking or something about him? It could be the weather or traffic but when a guy is not interested in deeper conversation he just might not be interested in you. You see when a guy really likes a girl he will wanna know everything about her. Even when he can't understand or relate to a certain subject he will be interested simply because you are and that means a lot to him. When a man really likes you he will also listen. He enjoys you're company and the conversation does not have to be entertaining, your company is enough for him and your conversation will always be welcome no matter the subject. If all he is looking for is a fling or FWB type of relationship, listening won't really be on his agenda.                                    

3. He will respect you.                                
One quick way to know if a man is really interested in you or if you're only a piece of flesh for his lunch, is in the level of respect he gives you. Men tend to respect the women they care about. You see when men really want a woman for keeps they will go above and beyond to impress her, to make her happy and comfortable. If a man really likes you for you, he won't push anything physical and will not even seem interested in that. Although men are naturally attracted sexually, they will abstain from it when they're truly interested in a deeper relationship with you. Men that are looking for a real relationship will show respect to the one woman they're pursuing. If anything some men can actually lose interest if the relationship gets too physical too soon. Real men will respect the woman they're pursuing and all women in general. Ask yourself if the guy you're into shows respect for women or does he objectify them for his own benefit? Again is this the kind of man you want as a partner?  

 4.He will work for it.                                
 When a man is interested he will do the effort. Effort to show you he cares. Effort to be around you even when his friends where going elsewhere . A man that has a thing for you will not hesitate to go out of his way for you. There will be no confusion. If a man want something for real he will make it obvious. He won't send mixed signals or play games with you. So if a guy you like is unavailable or too busy for you, chances are his not interested. Yes it could also be that he is shy or not very social but trust me when a real man is interested he will go the extra mile to win your heart. Yet if you're the one calling, you're the one texting and you're the one who is making the efforts, it might be time to come to terms with reality that either this guy is not into you or he is not mature enough to know what he wants nor pursue it , either way not something that is to your best interest.

5.It's not a secret                                        
Men are great at keeping their feelings inside but when a woman steals their heart they just can't stop talking about her. They talk about you with everyone and anyone. You won't be their "secret" friend (unless they've got something to hide) . They won't just be cyber friends or message you in the middle of the night but ignore you in public. A guy that's into you will welcome you into his group of friends, will tag you in social media and will introduce you to his family. He is into you and he is not afraid to show it. If he texts you but won't talk to you out in the open then there's a problem. If he is afraid that others will find out about you, chances are he has someone else to impress. Beware of men who want you as their text buddy but can't commit to a relationship. Don't let yourself become someone else's second option or plan B. When the right guy comes along you will be at the top of his list and you will be the only one on the list. He will wanna show you off to his family and friends. He won't be afraid of other prospects finding out he is into you because truth is he is.                                        

Well ladies, there you go. Make your conclusions and decide if this guy is really worth your time after all. If you believe in God and you're seeking a partner for life then I encourage you to let God do the work. Remember the story of Isaac and Rebecca. Abraham sent his servant to go find a wife for Isaac. The servant prayed to God for guidance and he had certain things he was looking for in the maiden that he wanted for Isaac. God answered him and he lead him to Rebecca. The word of God tells us that Isaac loved Rebecca and they where married. What a beautiful story of Gods providence. If you let God go and seek you a husband a partner, God will do it. God knows your heart and your desires. If you trust him and you leave the looking to him , God will bring the right man into your life at the right time. In the meantime you must keep your eyes on Jesus. Stay away from the lure of this world. A cute face can be a trap from Satan. So many women have fallen into this trap and my prayer is you will run now that you can before it's too late. Remember God will keep his promises to those who seek him.

                                                    "Strength and honor are her clothing"

The verse keeps me up thinking, what could the psalmist mean? What is strength? What is honor?
What strength could the virtuous woman of the psalms possess that made her so beautiful? 


You see the woman of proverbs 31 had a strength almost extinct in the modern day woman. She wasn't weight lifting or taking protein shakes. She wasn't running 10 miles a day or counting carbs. She was on her knees more often than we are on social media. She was busy loving others rather than judging them. She didn't have time for gossip in the midst of her humble service. She gave to the poor because she had received the eternal. She wasn't afraid because she knew whom she had trusted. She laughed at the future and walked in peace. She wasn't concerned with looking perfect but being faithful. She knew beauty is vain but labor gives fruit. She had faith because she heard his voice. She believed because she knew who had promised. She was humble because he was meek. She wasn't perfect but she was diligent. She did the right thing even if it wasn't glamorous . She followed God even when life got difficult. She loved, she gave, she served. There was no time to waste and everything to gain. She gained much honor because she walked with integrity. What a woman, what virtue and what challenge. If there's one word that could describe this woman it must be strength. Strength to submit the pride of the heart and the desires of the flesh . Strength to forsake the world and it pleasures. Strength to live day by day serving humbly. Strength to love those who have wronged us. She had a strength that can only be explained at the cross of Calvary. It was at that cross that one man being King surrendered all rights and paid a debt that was not his, to save those who hung him there. It is that same strength that defeated death and the tomb. That same strength that moved the stone. It is through this strength that we may live our Christian walk today and it is through that strength that we can have victory over sin. What about you and me? Are we walking in this strength? 

Christian Poems

"True Christianity"

How many times have we heard this phrase " Don't judge me by the way I dress! You can see the outside, but God can see the rest".
Have we forgotten what God said? " By their fruits they shall be known!" What irony! That we should say as an excuse; "God knows my heart" and right he sure does! For He wrote: The heart is desperately wicked! So which one is worse? The judgement of a man who can be fooled with a smile or that of a God who knows our every sinful thought and the things we've been hiding for quite a while? We say: Where does the bible say it's wrong? When we haven't even opened the book in the past month! We question: What's wrong with just one hug? But did you know that's where most pregnancies first begun? We say: Well the bible doesn't say tattoos are wrong! But we forget it does say : Don't be like the world. I mean how far do we have to go to call it sin? When remember God sees the desires we've kept within. We sure want Gods blessings but we run from commitment. Then we say: Well it's just not my conviction! Well what if a husband who cheated on his wife would use the same excuse as that? Would we still agree with that? Yet how many times have we been unfaithful to God? Assuming that sure nothing we do is wrong.

Spend less & Enjoy More

This morning as I was thinking on our budget for our next trip when I came across an old bank statement. It was quite a surprise. As I looked through it and began to highlight all the unnecessary spendings in that one given month. I decided I wanted to see our average spending on things we really didn't need. I highlighted the following purchases;

1.Eating Out
This included fast foods, ice cream shop, Starbucks , fancy restaurants and etc.

2.Online Purchases
While not in all cases, but in my case all my online purchases fell in the category of  "unnecessary "
Most included : shoes, apparel, toys for my son and etc.

3.Department Stores
It takes one to know one. If you're like me and you're being honest about your spendings you know the cold truth that if it was purchased at a department store it most likely was not a 'need'.

4.Thrift Shops
As I looked thru my bank statement I knew I could not include the thrift shop as a 'need' .
As much as I can tell you how cheap their stuff is and how much you will "save" I gotta admit every time I go in there my bank account is minimized and never maximized.

Those where my top four categories. If you have some others go ahead and add them to the balance. It was shocking as I added such small amounts how it accumulated  into a large sum pretty quick. I was surprised to see that I was spending around 1,100 per month. What? That's like three car payments ! Imagine all I could've saved. Where would that money be? Maybe I would've payed off a debt. Maybe we could've helped a needy family in church. My head was spinning I couldn't believe I was that person behind every purchase. I realized one thing. LITTLE can Become THOUSANDS!

The next thing that came in my head was the verse I had heard at the previous ladies conference I had attended " A wise woman builds her house"  and also Proverbs 31:10-31. We see the pictures of a wise woman. A godly woman who is wise in her spendings. You see what God  allowed me to understand was that He wants every part of my life to be pleasing to Him, yes even the way I spend my money.  I was convicted and ashamed of how badly I had handled my finances in the past. As we learn and grow together let's seek Gods guidance in every part of our life. As women of God and specially as keepers of our home, let's begin to make choices that are wise, that will bless our husbands, our children and at the end even we will reap the benefits. Having more is something our culture has become obsessed with. More clothes, more gadgets, more pleasure, more , more, more. As a wise woman we most be filled in Christ, satisfied in His providence for us. After all when we walk close to Him on a daily consistent manner we will experience more joy, more peace, more blessings and more satisfaction. God always gives the best at no cost to us.

I'll end with this final verse found in Isaiah 55:2 "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not?

When God Becomes a Burden

Do you see bible time and prayer as yet another chore?

As a homeschooling mom I can tell you many times I have struggled in this area as well. As moms and women we tend to get so busy and find our rest in social media or a few T.V. shows. The thought of adding yet one more thing into our "busy ' schedules can be terrifying, just the thought can make us feel exhausted. We almost want to scream, another one!?

 

However God never meant for it to be so. God meant bible study and prayer to be a garden of rest, a fountain of water and a place of peace. In our twenty four hours a day we have given priority to things God never meant to be there in the first place. We occupy our time and minds to things that will have little or no impact in our lives or others. Here are some tips that will help us renew our strength  and return to that garden of life that God has designed for us.

 

1. Work Life

Many of us have taken the role of working women when the husband has not stepped up to his responsibility, or when parents cant afford our college tuition. This situations are moments where we will need Gods grace and much sacrifice to allow God in our busy schedules and remind ourselves that the greater the task the greater the need there is for Gods guidance thru prayer and bible time. However for some of us work has become a stumbling block in our walk with God. We have focused on achievement and gain more than on godliness and service to our Lord. God uses work to provide our need but we should never abuse that to provide our wants. Lets cut back in work hours whenever we can. Sometimes this might mean giving up on luxuries or living on less income. Yet every sacrifice is worth it. If your job is taking the place of God in your life than we know something is not right. Pray and search your heart, it just might be that we are giving the best of our energy, heart and strength to material gain that will never satisfy.

 

2. Socializing

There has never been so much pull from social life on the family as there is today. Well with all the social networks and media that is available at our fingertips twenty four seven, lets add all the family gatherings, church activities, girls nights, outings and trips. While some socializing with Christian friends is needed we can mistakenly allow it to over power our lives and consume the little time we have left in our hands. We must learn to say no and begin to give God that time back. This can be the toughest when you have your phone lined up with notifications and emails accompanied with missed calls and messages. Turning our phone off can be another great aid. Lets take the steps necessary to allowing God to be our priority, who we follow and whos company can change us and help us love those around us even better.

 

3. Household Duties

The dishes are piled up and the rest of the house looks like a tornado just hit. I can relate to the feeling and the desire to desperately clean every inch and every corner. I love keeping my house clean and also allowing my family some space to make a mess knowing I will come back and clean it up after. I want them to enjoy a clean home and at the same time feel free to relax in it. One tip I can say with this is get up a bit earlier. When you eliminate other time wasters as mentioned above you will be surprised how much time you have left to do house work. Waking up a little bit earlier gives us the motivation we need to start our day on the right foot. It also provides the perfect moment to spend in peace and quiet with The Lord. While my family sleeps I can make some time for me and My God. This will energize you, and fill you with joy . The chores of the home will become easier as you approach them in a better attitude and as you clear up your mind from social media and noise. Take one task down at a time. Eliminate distractions like reading thru old notes you find, or watching T.V. while you fold the laundry. Texting or talking in the phone can also slow you down. Decide you will concentrate on the ask and not let anything you can control distract you. Time management makes a big difference.

 

There's many other tips I can share but talking about time, I don't want to take more of your time away. God bless you and remember to choose God first and He will help you with everything else.